Reverend Chander Mani Khannam who came from a high-caste Hindu devotee to a dedicated Christian pastor, was arrested for baptizing former Muslims.

“Pastor Khanna converted to Christianity in 1969 at the age of 22. He later became a minister in the Church of North India, an Anglican denomination, and was called to serve at All Saints Church in India’s Kashmir region, reports, Stacy L. Harp “While India is Hindu majority, most people in Kashmir are Muslim. India has the world’s third-largest Muslim community, and the Kashmir region is unofficially governed by Islamic courts.”

Khanna spent 40 days in prison. “I had the strange experience of boldness and believed the Lord had given me a job, and I did it with grace,” Khanna said. He was released on bail and expelled from Kashmir.

Though he was not convicted, His church and family were impacted. His wife became ill and was deeply disillusioned at the lack of support from the church. Denominational leadership subtly communicated that Khanna should not have baptized the converts from Islam. When he retired on Jan. 16, Khanna was let go without a pension.